§ 34. Sir R. Thompsonasked the Minister of Health whether, following correspondence with the hon. Member for Croydon, South, he is now satisfied with the arrangements for dealing with casualties at the Croydon General Hospital; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BarberNo, Sir; the regional board recognises the need for improvement and is considering the adaptation of additional accommodation at present used for other purposes.
§ Sir R. ThompsonDoes my right hon. Friend think that a hospital with admittedly inadequate casualty accommodation and with its staff below complement can really cope with the needs of 300,000 people for fifteen hours a day? I welcome the long-term proposals, but cannot my right hon. Friend do something in the short-term to improve the position?
§ Mr. BarberI know of my hon. Friend's concern. He has written to my predecessor about it on a number of occasions. As to the short-term, if the detailed plans to which I referred are accepted by the board he will be happy to know that the extension will probably be available early in the new year.